Wild Bill Hickok was very likely a good marksman with a handgun, which was something of a rarity on the frontier; he also was supposedly a very...
Aces and Eights
The question about what hand Wild Bill Hickok was holding has come up a number of times here's how the late Joe Rosa, Hickok's biographer explains...
Switching Sides
Zeke Proctor—outlaw turned lawman. Zeke Proctor was a hard man, living in the Cherokee Nation in the 1870s. He was responsible for several killings....
A Bitter Brew
An outlaw got more than he bargained for… Caleb Hall got around. He was with the John Kinney Gang, fought in Texas’ Mason County War, and got...
The Lone Star Myth of John Ringo
His time in Texas was not what it’s been cracked up to be. In August 19, 1875, a rider—or maybe riders—approached the Bader ranch in Mason County,...
King of the Gunmen
Pistoleer Fisher racked up a long list of kills. Texan King Fisher had a fearsome reputation as a gunman—one that was built in the 1870s. He was...
In the Palm of his Hand
An outlaw learned the hard way that a palm print was strong evidence. Ben Kuhl was caught red-handed—so to speak. He and two pals pulled the last...
Pearl Hart: “The Girl Bandit”
For most of her life Pearl Hart lived in dismal obscurity. She got her chance for fifteen minutes of fame following a bungled stagecoach robbery on...
The Lincoln County War: Armistice Gone Bad
When Lew Wallace was appointed Territorial Governor of New Mexico in 1879 one of the first missions he hoped to accomplish was to stop the killings...
From Outlaw to Horseman
Dick Liddil found a new calling at the race track. Dick Liddil joined the James Gang in 1879, near the end of its run. He eventually was arrested,...
Wyatt Earp: Is He Still a Hero?
Historians and writers share their perspectives on the West’s most famous lawman. In honor of the 140th anniversary of the gunfight near the O.K....
The Saga of Texas Jack
A successful outlaw got out of the game at the right time. Nathaniel Reed was called “Texas Jack”—a bit odd since he was from Arkansas and...